National signing day has come and gone, but the recruiting process really never ends. Now it's on to the Class of 2012, and three of the Dallas-area's top juniors gave their oral commitments over the weekend.
DeSoto (De Soto, Texas) offensive lineman
Curtis Riser,
Bishop Dunne (Dallas) defensive tackle
Alex Norman and
Ryan (Denton) linebacker Alex De La Torre all pledged to be Texas Longhorns after their trip to the school's junior day.
Curtis Riser, a junior, has already
made his college commitment.
Photo by Jamie Harms
Of course, with a year until they can sign a letter of intent, those commitments might change. But for players who are truly 100 percent committed, an early signing period for football could allow them to avoid the distractions of the recruiting process.
The American Football Coaches Association cited that when it proposed an early-signing period, which would've allowed players to sign letters of intent two months before the current signing day in February. The proposal was rejected by NCAA conference commissioners two years ago, but an early-signing period is still discussed. Some have suggested a
very early signing period -- in August before a recruit's senior year.
An early-signing period would ease a lot of frustration for college coaches who must continue recruiting kids who have orally committed. But would an early-signing period be better for athletes, too?
Some Dallas-area high school coaches don't think so. Many said the reason so many athletes don't follow through on their oral commitments is because they are asked to choose a school before they have enough time to weigh the decision.
"Schools tell them, ‘we're almost full, you better commit now,'" said Mesquite Horn coach Rodney Webb, who had four players sign with major programs two weeks ago.
"There's just so much pressure each year to make up your mind earlier and earlier," Frisco Centennial coach Mark Howard added, "and they can be life-changing decisions."
More stories from around the Dallas area the last week:
LeBryan Nash
USA Basketball
Lincoln forward
LeBryan Nash, the Oklahoma State signee who is averaging 22 points and nine rebounds per game, was the lone Texan named to the McDonald's All-American team. "It's always been a goal for me," Nash told The Dallas Morning News. "When I entered high school, I told my coach that I wanted to be an All-American. He told me if I did, he'd retire my jersey. So, I've just been working hard, and it's paid off." The game is March 30 at the United Center in Chicago.
3. Bishop Lynch coach earns 800th win: Bishop Lynch (Dallas) girls basketball coach Andy Zihlman, who is in his 30th season, recorded his 800th win Monday as the Lady Friars beat Fort Worth Nolan, 53-44. Zihlman, 57, has led Bishop Lynch to 27 Texas Association of Private and Parochioal School state titles, including 10 straight from 1991 to 2000.
4. Duncanville girls knock off Euless Trinity in first round of playoffs: In a matchup of perennially strong teams, Duncanville used swarming defense to overwhelm Euless Trinity, 55-37, on the opening night of the 5A playoffs. Kansas signee
Bunny Williams had 19 points, 13 rebounds and a block for Duncanville (29-6).
Trinity (Euless) finished the season 25-9. Trinity star Nikki Moody, an Iowa State signee, had 12 points.
5. St. Mark's wins state private-school swim meet: Senior Will McNamara won the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events and helped two relays win as
St. Mark's (Dallas) cruised to the swimming and diving title at the Southwest Preparatory Conference winter championships. St. Mark's finished with 177 points, well in front of second-place John Cooper School from The Woodlands.
Top performers
Two of the area's top performances in the last week:
Claire Brandt (Greenhill-Addison swimming): Brandt set meet records in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly at the Southwest Preparatory Conference state swimming and diving championships. In the 100 butterfly, Brandt broke her own meet record by more than a second, with a time of 55.92 seconds.
Kayla Reinhart (Southlake Carroll basketball): Reinhart led her team with 15 points in a 48-43 victory over Flower Mound Marcus in a first-round game in the 5A playoffs. With Carroll leading by one with less than a minute remaining, Reinhart stole the ball and passed to teammate
Kami Mickens for a layup that gave Carroll some breathing room.
News and Views
The
Melissa boys basketball team remains No. 1 in the state 2A rankings and is the only Dallas-area team that is undefeated. If Melissa (31-0) can run the table, people might actually be able to find the town, which is northeast of Dallas, on a map. … Plano, the 2006 5A boys state champion, slipped into the fourth playoff spot in District 8-5A by beating Hebron, 65-55, on Tuesday night. … Colleyville Heritage star guard
Alexia Standish, a Texas A&M signee, scored 18 points to lead her team to a 50-46 win over Mansfield Timberview in a 5A first-round playoff game. Timberview won the 4A state title last year and its enrollment bumped it to 5A this year. Heritage hadn't won a playoff game since 2007. … When the UIL began allowing four teams from each district into the playoffs a few years ago, some people questioned how much it would water down the brackets. Judging by one first-round playoff game Monday, they are
very watered down. In a 4A girls game, Lincoln beat Seagoville 81-5. A margin of 76 points in a playoff game. Wow.
Matt Wixon is the high school sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at mwixon@dallasnews.com or on Twitter @mattwixon.
